


Mayfly

by LadyoftheWifi



Series: Miraculous Ladybug and the Olympians [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adrien angst, Gen, Post Chloe Redemption, but like productive, expect cameos, much more involved in the PJO universe this time, plus some more - Freeform, post-reveal, sequel to Kota
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26386069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheWifi/pseuds/LadyoftheWifi
Summary: With Gabriel Agreste officially behind bars and the peacock miraculous recovered, Paris has more faith in its heroes than ever. But the lives of the heroes aren't much easier, with Adrien and Kagami adjusting to lives without their parents, Fu giving the heroes more responsibility, and the growing interest of other magical groups in Paris - including the local Egyptian magicians.Sequel to Kota
Series: Miraculous Ladybug and the Olympians [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917661
Comments: 13
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1: Dark Moth

**Author's Note:**

> And we're back! So excited!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, which is basically a really fancy roll call. Actual plot starts next chapter.
> 
> Right now, I'll not be updating on a regular schedule, but I'll try to post at least once every two weeks. School is killing me, and I have other writing projects I want to work on - even maybe finally finished The Unclocker.

**Mayfly**

**Chapter 1: Dark Moth**

"Tikki, spots on!"

The transformation washed over her, giving her the boost of energy she desperately need.

The current akuma, Dark Moth, was exactly what they expected. They had been prepared, and had the upper hand - something that had yet to change, even as the battle dragged on.

The problem was simple - Dark Moth had all the powers of the previous akumas, including Sapotis. That meant that until Markov could locate the original Dark Moth with the akuma, he could keep multiplying. Ladybug wouldn't say that they were overwhelmed, but she had used enough lucky charms to detransform, even with their new power-up.

Leaving her hiding place behind, Ladybug flew up and landed on a roof. She activated one of her super cool upgrades - a ladybug drone, which lived on the top of her yo-yo until she needed it - and sent it to do surveillance. Tikki the Second, as Plagg had started calling it, flew away with a mechanical grace.

"Markov, are you tapped in?" Ladybug asked.

"Affirmative, Ladybug," Markov said. "Dark Moth Prime is still in hiding, but Lis Tigre and Pigmy could use help. Sending location now."

Ladybug watched the location come up on her yo-yo, and flew in that direction.

She loved having wings.

It wasn't the only bonus of her new upgrades - she now, finally, had pockets, foot support, and even some armor. Her yo-yo could now change to a staff or shield, and the drone was a big bonus.

Lis Tigre and Pigmy were near the Seine, fighting a Dark Moth with Stormy Weather's powers. He was forcing them to dodge lightning strikes, and using wind gusts to throw their attacks of balance. Pigmy's weapon - a ribbon wand - and been thrown into the river.

"Pigmy, Lis Tigre, I'm coming in," Ladybug said over the comms before folding her wings back and diving at the Dark Moth.

Like Sapotis, the Dark Moths disappeared when whacked in the location of the akuma - this time, a silver bracelet on his right wrist. Ladybug changed her yo-yo to a staff and used her downward momentum to ram it into the bracelet, shattering it and making the Dark Moth disappear.

She tucked and rolled to soften the landing, her wings shifting to protect her neck.

"Flying looks so fun!" Pigmy said.

With her nearly all pink outfit, it was easy to Rose behind the mask. She definitely had adapted quickly to the pig miraculous, proving quickly she had been the right choice.

"I definitely enjoy it," Ladybug admitted. "You two okay?"

Lis Tigre nodded. "We're fine. Thanks for the save."

Even with her mask, Lis Tigre never looked like she was hiding the same way Juleka did. She was absolutely stunning with her hair pulled back, and Ladybug was hoping Juleka would pick up the habit in her civilian life, too.

"Look out!" Pigmy tackled Lis Tigre, and Ladybug dodged off to the side.

A boat slid into the pavement where the three superheroes had been standing. It vanished a second later, revealing Stampede behind it.

"Sorry!" Stampede apologized with a wince. "It's hard to aim something so big."

To Ladybug, her words were in fluent French - that was part of the magic of the miraculous, translating automatically and hiding Sadie's British/American accent.

"Stampede, there is a metal giant by the school," Markov said. "Ladybug, the dragon has regenerated."

Ladybug groaned. "Again?"

She kicked off, spreading her wings and taking to the skies. The dragon was easy to spot, and since Ladybug had already dealt with it twice, easy to defeat.

The dragon vanished, and Ladybug landed on a roof to catch her breath.

Her ears barely caught the sound of an arrow being released, and she turned towards the sound.

Kota jumped in front of her, catching the arrow with ease. The magic died in her hands.

She flipped the arrow around and shot it at a Dark Moth like a dart, forcing him to dodge.

"Nice save!" Ladybug said.

"Thanks," Kota said.

Ladybug wrapped the Dark Moth with her yo-yo and yanked him towards them. He landed roughly on the roof top, and Kota broke his bracelet.

"Need help!"

"Requesting help with an akuma."

"I've got the first one," Ladybug said. "You help Pegasus."

Kota nodded, and they ran off in opposite directions.

A few allies Ladybug found Bunnyx and Viperion fending off a Dark Moth, Bunnyx barely avoiding being cataclysm and Viperion close to detransforming.

Ladybug dove and kicked the Dark Moth in the face, sending him backwards. Bunnyx used the hook of her umbrella to grab his ankle, flipping him onto his back. With a stomp, Ladybug broke his bracelet, and he vanished.

"Thanks," Viperion said. "He was really becoming a problem."

"You okay?" Ladybug asked.

Viperion nodded. "Yeah. Just need to recharge - Sass is probably exhausted. Scales slither."

He detransformed, and Luka leaned his head back against the wall.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Ladybug said.

Luka shot her a thumbs up, and Ladybug flew off.

"Markov?" Ladybug asked.

"Looks like everything is under control," Markov reported.

Ladybug paused, mid-air, and watched the fights below. It didn't look controlled, but it was obvious who had the upper hand.

A burst of pride swelled in Ladybug's chest.

She checked her yo-yo, where she could see her drone camera. She watched for a moment, waiting to see where she was needed.

Turned out she didn't the camera, because Roi Singe went flying through the air.

Ladybug dove towards him, catching him before he landed, and gently put him back down.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked.

"Yep," Roi Singe. "Just - uh, got launched by the mime."

"Oh, he's fun," Ladybug replied.

"The two illusionists are back," Markov reported.

"Why don't you wreck havoc with them," Ladybug suggested. "I'll handle the mime."

Roi Singe nodded. "I've got them."

The Mime was close to the bakery, miming... something. It was hard to tell exactly what he was trying to do - not that it mattered.

Ladybug landed behind him. "Dark Moth! Is that the best you've got?"

The Dark Moth turned towards her with a scowl. "Ladybug. You-"

Ladybug didn't let him finished, snapping her yo-yo out and breaking the bracelet.

"Incoming!"

A portal opened above Ladybug, forcing her to move out of the way as a stream of water roared down. A Dark Moth with a mermaid tail fell onto the ground, and second later Pegasus landed next to him, easily breaking the bracelet. Kota landed beside Pegasus, soaking wet.

"Good job you two," Ladybug said.

Kota beamed, and Pegasus smiled.

"We have another water akuma in the Seine," Markov reported. "Ladybug, Ryuko needs backup."

"Round two?" Kota asked.

"Same plan," Pegasus replied.

"Send me Ryuko's location," Ladybug replied. "And tell her I'm on the way."

Markov obliged, and Ladybug took off to help Ryuko.

Ryuko was surrounded by knights. She was handling them admirably, disarming one after the other, but until the Dark Moth - who, of course, was not in the fighting - the knights would not stay down.

"Don't worry about Ryuko."

Ladybug turned towards her partner, posed on the edge of a nearby rooftop.

"I can handle this," Chat Noir finished. He spun his baton in his hands before leaping down.

Ladybug watched them for moment, but the two were nearly unstoppable together.

"You know, you aren't the only hero who can fly around looking cool."

Ladybug turned and quirked her eyebrow at Queen Bee, who was fluttering behind her.

"We're running out of villains to fight," Ladybug said.

"Sounds like the opposite of problem," Queen Bee replied.

"Queen Bee, could you please freeze this guy?" Roi Singe asked.

"No problem," Queen Bee replied, easily turning to head in that direction.

A strange orange mist filled the street, and Ladybug landed on the rooftop to investigate.

What was that? It didn't match with anyone's powers, except for -

Ladybug caught something moving. It was invisible, except for the fact that the mist disappeared as it moved.

The figure turned away from the mist, smacking right into Rena Rouge. With a swift chop from her flute, the Dark Moth vanished.

Ladybug landed next to Rena Rouge.

"Nice thinking," she said.

Rena Rouge grinned. "Thanks."

"Everyone's doing such a good job, I don't know what to do," Ladybug admitted.

"I could use some help!"

Ladybug turned to see Carapace trading blows with a Dark Moth with four arms.

"L-"

"I've got this, LB," Rena Rouge said. "Mirage!"

The mirage engulfed the Dark Moth. Ladybug couldn't tell what it was, except that a second later, Carapace had destroyed the bracelet.

"Thanks babe," Carapace said.

"Anytime."

"Ladybug, your drone has found him," Markov said. "Hiding under the Eiffel Tower."

"Great," Ladybug replied. "Give me ten seconds."

She kicked off into the air and zoomed towards the Eiffel Tower. It was easy to locate Dark Moth, now that Ladybug knew what to look.

"It's over," Ladybug announced, landing behind the Dark Moth.

"Not quite yet," Dark Moth replied.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. He wasn't even armed.

The bracelet broke easily, and Ladybug quickly purified the akuma.

"That took a total of thirty seconds," Markov reported.

"Close enough," Ladybug responded. "Miraculous Ladybug!"


	2. Chapter 2: The New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so Tower of Nero released since I started this story, and may I just say, wow. It definitely has changed a few things in this story.
> 
> I know there was some confusion about Sadie appearing in the first chapter, but hopefully this clears that up.

**Chapter 2: The New Normal**

Sadie woke before dawn, tired and sore.

She didn't _like_ waking before dawn, but it was a habit from the Brooklyn house she had yet to break. There, she had to wake early - to make sure everyone had breakfast, lunch packed, homework done, and that she herself was prepared for school.

It was one of the reasons Amos wanted her to take the opportunity to spend time in Paris.

She needed the break from all the responsibility, plus she was still jealous of all the traveling Carter got to do. There were, of course, other, more important reasons, like the fact that her good mortal friend Lacy was actually a demigod and somehow managed to become a superhero during the short period she lived in Paris _how did that even happen?_

(Then again, Sadie was pretty sure the mansion next door to the Brooklyn house had been destroyed by cows last summer, so nothing really surprised her anymore.)

Stompp, the ox kwami, didn't seem to mind to early morning, and trailed behind Sadie as she heated up breakfast.

"To be fair," Sadie said. "I am a lot less sore than after most battles."

"The Miraculous do prevent some soreness," Stompp replied.

"I wish I found you long ago," Sadie said. "I could've used that extra power boost with the whole apocalypse thing."

Her phone beeped, distracting her from her train of thought. She immediately checked - could be Carter, or Zia, and something might have gone wrong - and a notification for the Ladyblog popped up.

_What was Alya doing up this early - or had she gone to bed at all?_

Alya and Sadie weren't very close, so Sadie didn't feel the need to question her over her sleeping choices. Instead, she clicked the notification and scanned the article.

It was just a summary of the battle last night. Alya had gone over the appearance of the three new heroes, the change in outfit for several heroes, the new nickname for Mayura - Mayfly, a combination of Mayura and butterfly, her current miraculous. At the end of the article were several fan-submitted photos from the battle.

Nothing Sadie didn't already know, but the photos were cool.

It was close to midnight in Brooklyn, and her old class's group chat and the Brooklyn house group chat where still active. Lacy was up divulging the newest Paris secrets of fashion to one of her old classmates - Sadie noped out of that conversation. Fashion wasn't her thing, or at least popular fashion trends. Carter and Clio were spamming the Brooklyn house group chat with niche Egyptian memes, most of which were, admittedly, hilarious.

Sadie would never admit to laughing at one of Carter's jokes, but alone in the kitchen in the morning, she could laugh.

The "saviors of the world" group chat Annabeth added her to was discussing horse care, which Sadie has no interest in. Her current class's group chat has gone from Nino scolding Alya for staying up so late to Chloe scolding Nino for using the group chat for that, to Alix yelling at everyone for waking her up.

After eating breakfast, Sadie laid out what her host family would need for breakfast.

"You don't have to do that."

Sadie glanced behind her to see Tidir. She looked like she just rolled out of bed, with her shirt brown hair all over the place, and eyelids fluttering shut.

"You're up early," Sadie commented.

Tidir sighed. "The entire reason you're living here and not at the nome is so you can relax."

"I know," Sadie said. "But I'm up, and my homework's done, so it's not a big deal."

"Sadie," Tidir replied. "Go take a nice shower or something, leave the housework to me."

"Fine," Sadie relented. "A shower does sound nice."

It was true that she was staying with a host family, instead of at the Paris house on the other side of the city, and that part of the reason it was offered was so that Sadie didn't end up just taking on responsibility. But Sadie herself had only chosen to stay here so she could go to the same school as Lacy, the only person in Paris she had known beforehand, and with most of her new superhero teammates.

Tidir smiled and waved Sadie away, taking over the preparation.

The apartment was decently sized - since Tidir was fostering two young magicians by herself, the Paris House of Life had agreed to help pay rent so that she could afford a nice place. The bottom floor had a nice living room, kitchen, and Sadie's room as well as a small bathroom near the living room and one between the two bedrooms.

Tidir's bedroom, as well as her two foster sons' bedrooms, was upstairs. Upstairs also had a nice loft with a large window a few bookcases, but Sadie never used it. She loved the view the apartment had, even though she didn't have a balcony like almost all of her classmates did, but she just wasn't a cuddling nook type person.

The shower felt great on her sore muscles, and she still had enough time to leisurely get ready. Sadie threw on her favorite pair of black jeans, and a black sweatshirt, and her favorite pair of combats boots, and even had time to put on a bit of makeup.

"You're going to roast in that," Tidir commented, as Sadie gathered her homework from the kitchen table (her grandparents would have never let her get away with leaving papers on the table, but they weren't here).

"It's only what, 20 degrees?" Sadie replied. "I'll be fine."

Since she was wearing her Chat Noir sweatshirt, Sadie couldn't resist grabbing cat ears to go with. In Brooklyn, they would look weird, but Paris was slowly being taken over by hero-related accessories, like cat ears, fake tails, spots, and scales.

Sadie didn't usually wear things because they were popular, but she was too much of a cat person to resist. The Chat Noir outfit incidentally matched the green - once purple - streaks running through her hair, making her look like a super fan instead of just a cat person.

After grabbing snacks from the fridge - including celery, Stompp's favorite food, and a piece of cheese to hide in her sweater - Sadie was ready to go.

"Ready?"

Kagami was up and ready, looking as usual like a star student in a black sweater, black pleated skirt and red shirt.

Sadie nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

The walk to school was long, and Sadie would have preferred not walking, but Kagami and Stompp had teamed up on her to convince her to walk. It wasn't tiring - Sadie wasn't an athlete but she was forced to be fit - but that didn't mean it preferable to sitting. Plus, Kagami walked _fast_.

"You don't have to rush," Sadie said, struggling to keep up.

"I am not rushing," Kagami replied. "This is simply how I walk."

"Well, walk slower," Sadie complained.

They arrived at school early, as usual - Kagami liked being early, and Sadie enjoyed having the time to talk to her classmates. Kagami stopped at the steps of the school, saying she was meeting a friend, and Sadie continued in.

The usual group of early students were in the classroom. Lacy, Kim, Max, Alix, and Rose were clustered on one side of the room, talking faster than Sadie could understand in French. Lacy and Rose waved enthusiastically when Sadie entered.

Sadie slid up on the desk next to where Lacy perched.

"Quite a fight yesterday," she said, stretching her arms for emphasis.

"I know," Lacy said, slowing down her French a little so it was easier for Sadie to catch. "But it was worth the extra day to complete that science essay."

"That's due today?" Kim asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Alix replied.

"Oops."

"It's pretty easy," Rose said. "Just a review of lab safety."

"Again," Alix complained.

"Did you manage to complete the assignment, Sadie?" Max asked. "Or did you need help with the French?"

"Actually, Mendeleev is letting me do my homework in English," Sadie replied. "She says understanding the content is more important."

"Mendeleev is surprising like that," Lacy agreed. "She seems super strict with science, but she's also really lenient when it comes to writing. Which is amazing."

"She's still really scary," Rose admitted.

Alix shrugged. "Teachers like her have worse barks than bites."

"I wouldn't call her scary," Kim agreed. "But she's definitely not as cool as Bustier."

Rose perked up, signaling Juleka's arrival. Juleka slid onto the bench next to her girlfriend, the two hugging quickly.

Alix made a face. "Eugh."

"Have you seen the pictures Alya posted?" Rose asked, speaking mostly to Juleka.

Juleka nodded. "They're pretty good."

"You looked really cool in some of them," Lacy added.

Juleka blushed. "Thanks."

"Okay, but I looked awesome too," Sadie added.

"Yes, you did," Lacy replied.

"We're superheroes, we all looked cool," Alix declared.

"Totally," Kim agreed.

"Cheese!"

If Plagg was any bigger, he would have knocked Sadie over as he flew for the hidden cheese in her sweatshirt. As is, he still managed to startle her - she hadn't heard Adrien arrive.

Sadie chuckled, bringing out the cheese for the kwami.

"Morning!" Rose chimed, waving enthusiastically as Adrien and Nino entered the room.

Adrien made a face at Sadie. "You spoil him too much."

"No she doesn't," Plagg replied, already having finished the cheese. "She appreciates me."

Adrien sighed.

"So, how late was Alya up last night?" Alix asked.

Nino sighed. "I don't know. Way too late. You know how she gets when she's focused."

"Morning!" Mylene said, coming in behind the boys. "Bustiers on her way up."

"Morning!" Lacy replied. "Orikko, time to hide."

Orikko, who was hiding up above the whiteboard, flew down to Lacy and ducked into her bag.

Xuppu, who had been doing laps around the classroom, also ducked into Kim's school bag. Plagg flew back into Adrien's giant sweatshirt.

Bustier entered seconds later, greeting the class with a warm good morning.

* * *

"Who's up to yelling at Alya?" Marinette asked as she walked into class. "She said she got an _hour_ of sleep last night."

"It's not that big of a deal," Alya complained, following behind her. "Besides, did you see those pictures?"

"Morning," Bustier greeted, ignoring Marinette's question.

Marinette wasn't surprised to see that she and Alya were the last to arrive - the two had been caught up in a conversation with Kagami. The rest of the class was all in clusters, engaged in whatever conversations they were having.

"I gave up on that long ago," Nino said. "Alya will do what she wants."

"Agreed," Alya replied.

"Alright, everyone, let's settle down," Bustier called.

Marinette and Alya took their seats - Alya next to Nino and Marinette on the other side at the front. The class seating had been rearranged again, since they had a new student.

At first, Sadie had taken the seat next to Lacy, and Alix had moved to the back next to Nathaniel. But both of those had turned out to be horrible ideas, and only an hour later Bustier had to ban Sadie and Lacy from sitting together and Alix and Nathaniel from sitting together. So Sadie had moved to sit next to Adrien, the only other student fluent in English.

That meant Nino had to move, and since he wasn't allowed to sit in the back, he had moved next to Alya. But no one wanted to kick Marinette to the back again, especially since Bustier was worried she couldn't hear, so Chloe had offered up her seat.

Sabrina had wanted to sit next to Marinette, so Chloe moved next to Mylene and Ivan next to Nathaniel.

Marinette was just glad they had finally figured it out. Seating shouldn't cause as much drama as it had for their class.

As Marinette sat down, she scanned the classroom to make sure her classmates were okay after the battle yesterday. She had already checked in with Kagami and Luka earlier, but had hoped she would have time to check in with the rest of the class.

Nearly everyone was dressed for summer. Sabrina was wearing a white shirt with just enough sleeve to pass the dress code, a lacy top half, and a peasant-style neckline, with black denim shorts and black Toms. Since she wasn't in the official superhero loop, yesterday hadn't been as major as it was to most of the class.

Behind them, Lacy and Alix were as restless as normal. Lacy had started pinning her braid up, to keep her neck cooler, and her cheeks were still red from her morning patrol. Alix's hair dye was starting to fade out, and she had ditched the long-sleeve undershirt and only wore a short-sleeve workout top. If yesterday had any affect on her, she wasn't showing it.

Kim was extra energetic that day. He had finally shed his favorite red sweatshirt, showing off a Ryuko fan shirt underneath. Max was dressed as usually in a short-sleeve button up, but he had left it partially unbuttoned and more ruffled than usual. He looked tired, but nothing more than that.

Juleka had recently cut her hair, so it now barely touched her shoulders, and shaped it so it no longer hid half her face. She still hid behind the bangs,e ven today when she was beaming. Unlike most of the class, the hot weather hadn't affected her and she still wore torn black jeans and a black short sleeve turtleneck. Rose was wearing a pink short-sleeve sundress over gold leggings, looking and acting like her normal self.

On the other side of the classroom, Nathaniel and Ivan were quietly sitting next to each other. In front of them, Chloe was exaggerating every time she yawned, which gave the impression she wasn't as tired as she said. Mylene was watching her, mainly with amusement.

Alya looked like death warmed up, in her oversized Ladybug t-shirt and messy hair. Nino was acting a tad more tired than normal, but was otherwise unaffected. Marinette still didn't know Sadie well enough to tell how she was doing.

And then there was Adrien.

He dealt with his father's arrest as best as he could, but it was obvious it was catching up to him. His appearance was slipping - for the first few days he had done his best to still look like the model he had been, but now his hair was messy and uncombed. He slumped in his black sweatshirt, and bags drooped beneath his eyes.

Adrien was still living with Nino's family as the doctors did their best to figure out what was wrong with his mom. Nino told Marinette that Adrien was keeping up with his therapy sessions, but at the moment they didn't seem to helping.

Bustier ran them through their usual morning routine before moving on to announcements.

"The school has decided that due to the added stress this semester, there will be no final exams," Bustier announced.

_Wait for it._

"Instead, there will be a small project for each of you to do," she finished.

_There it is._

"What if we prefer tests over projects?" Max asked.

"I assure you, this project is much better than a test," Bustier replied. "You will choose one topic that interests you, and present on how history, literature, math, and science all play a role in this subject. Me Damocles has asked that students don't work together or do the same subject as someone in their class. Marinette, I assume you want to do fashion?"

"Yes please," Marinette replied.

"Ooh, can I do photography?" Lacy asked.

"Kim, I'll arm-wrestle you for rights to do sports."

"You're on!"

"Kim, Alix, how about you do different aspects of sports?" Bustier suggested.

The class continued to call out different suggestions, Bustier mediating whenever two students wanted the same subject.

"And that just leaves Juleka and Adrien," Bustier announced.

"I could do musical instruments," Juleka suggested.

"Sounds good," Bustier replied. "Adrien?"

"Oh, uh..."

Nino whispered something into Adrien's ear that made him smirk. Sadie also leaned in and whispered something that got him to chuckle, but Adrien seemed at a lost for real ideas.

"Maybe Adrien could do keyboard instruments and I could do brass?" Juleka suggested.

Adrien relaxed at the suggestion. "Sounds good."

"Alright, now that that's over with-"

* * *

Somewhere along the way, Sadie had learned responsibility (eugh), so after class she immediately started brainstorming for her project.

How to tie in math and science into theater?

Lacy bumped into Sadie's shoulder, dragging her attention away from her google search.

"Where are you off to?"

"Grabbing something to eat before patrol," Sadie replied. "Any suggestions?"

"Ooh, Marinette's bakery," Lacy replied.

"I've already tried that - I want something new."

"But you won't find anything better," Lacy replied. "I'll see you later, I'm watching Kim's swim meet."

"Get good pictures!" Sadie called as Lacy walked away.

Lacy did have a point. The Dupain-Cheng bakery was good. As much as Sadie liked exploring new foods, the allure of the promise of good foods was too much to resist, and she headed to the bakery.

Marinette's back was just disappearing as Sadie entered, and her mom smiled at her from the counter.

"You're the new foreign exchange student, right?" She asked.

"Yep," Sadie replied. She stumbled through her order in French, as Mrs Dupain Cheng waited patiently.

A minute later, she had her food and was heading out the door.

And that's when Sadie saw the girl sitting by the window.

She looked strangely familiar, but it took Sadie a minute to place her. And once she did, she just had to talk to her.

Sadie approached the table and, without bothering to introduce herself, spoke.

"Aren't you the girl who's house was run over by cows?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not resist bring Rachel into this when ToN said she was spending the next school year (when Kota and Mayfly take place) in Paris.


	3. Chapter 3: Rose of Steel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot fathom that it is already November

**Chapter 3: Rose of Steel**

The girl looked up at Sadie with surprise. "That wasn't on the news."

"But it happened," Sadie replied. "I saw it happen. Last summer."

The girl looked over Sadie. "Wait - aren't you the girl who lived next door?"

Sadie frowned. The girl shouldn't have been able to see the house, much less recognize Sadie from it.

"Yes?" Sadie replied.

"I knew I'd meet someone interesting today," the girl replied. "But you can't stay long. Let me give you my phone number." She scribbled something on a clean napkin and handed it Sadie.

"Thanks," Sadie replied. "Who-"

Her phone beeped. Akuma alert.

"See you later," the girl said.

* * *

"I got the best idea for the project," Marinette said, spinning her chair.

"Tell me," Alya prodded from the other end of the phone call.

"Edna Mode," Marinette replied. "She used science to create fashion. _The Incredibles_ takes place in the past - and it ties into literature because the first superhero was in a book."

"Sounds perfect!" Alya replied.

Marinette's phone beeped.

"Akuma alert," she read.

"Looks like I'll be using that babysitting backup," Alya said.

One of the benefits of everyone knowing each other's identities was setting up backups for akuma attacks. For instance, Mylene had volunteered as an emergency babysitter, something that Alya would need now since she was supposed to be watching her sisters.

"I'll see you there," Alya said, hanging up.

Another nice change - Marinette didn't feel like she had to rush.

Under her bed she had a white board calendar she designed to keeping up with superhero shifts. They had separated into three main categories - heroes expected to respond immediately during a certain time, heroes that could be backup, and heroes that only could be called in an emergency. Right then, Kim was at a swim meet, and Sadie, Alya, Nino, and Lacy were expected to be responding. Plus Marinette and Adrien, of course.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

By the time Kota arrived, Chat Noir and Carapace were already there, watching the attack from the rooftop.

Unlike Kota, both Chat Noir and Carapace had gained a new outfit after Hawkmoth's defeat. Now, Chat Noir's hair turned black when he transformed. He no longer had a bell on his throat, and instead green lightning cracks spread across his top. Carapace's outfit hadn't changed much, but the hoodie was a rougher and thicker material.

"What's up?" Kota asked.

"It's Sabrina's mom," Carapace replied.

"Apparently Dark Moth got to Officer Raincomprix," Chat Noir nodded. "He's healed, but-"

"Oh."

"I can't figure out what her powers are specifically-" Carapace continued.

"She's stabbing things," Rena Rouge said, landing behind them. She also had an updated outfit - an orange top with a white breast plate and shoulder armor, black elbow pads, and black gloves. She had an orange scarf around her waist, thick black leggings with orange kneepads, and black boots with white lining.

"She's calling herself Steel Rose," Rena Rouge explained, "and is covered in thorns that launch at anyone who gets near. She's grown Weredad-like rose vines all over her apartment to protect Sabrina and her husband."

"Should we try to get them out?" Carapace asked.

"Our first job should be getting Steel Rose away from the civilians," Rena Rouge replied.

"Sports arena," Chat Noir suggested.

"I can lure her with my mirages, but I'll have to duck out immediately to recharge."

"Sounds good," Ladybug said over their earpieces. "Stampede and I will meet you at the arena. Chat, Cara, don't use your powers unless absolutely necessary. Kota, if you want to stay to get Sabrina and her dad out, feel free."

"Got it," Chat Noir said.

"I'll try," Kota said.

"Wait until I say Steel Rose is out of range," Ladybug told her. "Rena, go."

"Got it. Mirage!"

The mirage Steel Rose lured away, Rena Rouge staying right behind. Chat Noir and Carapace followed, making sure none of Steel Rose's wild shots hit any civilians.

"Kota, you're good to go," Ladybug said.

"Got it," Kota replied.

She launched herself off of the rooftop and landed on the street. From there, she could see the apartment building and how thick the rose vines were.

_How am I supposed to get through that?_

Kota circled the building before spotting a window on the third floor that had a decent-size gap. It was easy to climb up to it, and once there she just had to kick the window in.

"Sabrina's apartment should be the one next to that."

Kota startled, nearly slipping off her perch.

Queen Bee snorted. "You still startle too easily."

"I know, I know," Kota replied. "I'll bring them out and you fly them down?"

"Sounds good," Queen Bee replied.

Kota slipped through the hole and into the building. It was unnaturally dark, and way too quiet, and the stillness was stifling.

"Sun beam!" Kota called, and her powers flickered on, illuminating the space.

Everyone else seemed to have evacuated, so Kota headed directly to Sabrina's apartment. The inside door was also covered in vines, and Kota ended up having to whack at them with her kite.

Eventually, she pushed the door open, and stepped into the apartment.

"Sabrina? Officer Raincomprix?" Kota called, stepping in.

"Over here!"

Kota followed the voice, finding Sabrina and her dad in the living room, surrounded by more rose vines.

Kota looked over the vines, trying to figure out how to break through. Eventually she shrunk her kite, stuck it between two vines, and extended it.

"Thank you!" Sabrina said, crawling out first and giving Kota a big hug.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Kota replied. "Queen Bee is waiting outside to take you to safety, I'll show you the way out."

* * *

Ladybug flew above the battle, watching Rena Rouge's mirage lead Steel Rose to the stadium. Chat Noir and Carapace were right behind, and Stampede was already at the stadium.

Knowing who she had to work with, Ladybug could begin planning.

"Come out, come out, Ladybug!" Steel Rose called. "Let me give you what you deserve for not protecting my husband."

For an akuma, Steel Rose was beautiful. She had a steel-color billowing dress with spikes down the sleeves that could shoot out with scary accuracy. Her hair was pulled up into a bun, still its usual red color, and a matching rose was on her neck.

"I bet her choker is the akumatized object," Ladybug guessed.

"Seconded," Rena Rouge replied.

"Sabrina and her dad are safely out," Kota reported. "Queen Bee is heading to the stadium, I'll be there once I've recharged."

Queen Bee. She was a good addition to the team - necks were hard to get to, so Ladybug was thankful for the use of venom.

"Did you use your powers yet Bee?" Ladybug asked.

"Negative, Ladybug" Queen Bee replied.

"Good. Carapace, once everyone's in the stadium, can you do a shelter big enough to keep everyone in? I don't want spikes flying outside."

"You've got it," Carapace replied.

"Rena, make sure you duck out before Cara uses his shelter," Ladybug said. "Stampede, are you ready?"

"I was born ready," Stampede replied. "But yes."

They reached the stadium just as Rena Rouge's timer timed out.

Alya ducked to a hiding place as Ladybug, Carapace, and Chat Noir landed. Queen Bee was already there, and she and Stampede joined them on the field. A few moments later, Kota landed next to them.

"Shelter!"

Steel Rose observed the shield. "That's not going to help you if I'm in here with you."

"Maybe not," Ladybug said. "But we don't need help. Lucky charm!"

Steel Rose yelled, aiming her spikes at the heroes. Kota leaped to the front, expanding her kite to fend off the spikes.

The lucky charm - a compact tent set - fell into Ladybug's hands.

"Get her to turn around!" Ladybug said. She changed her yo-yo to a shield to protect herself as the heroes diverged around her.

Carapace and Chat Noir went one way, Stampede and Kota the other. Queen Bee pushed off, staying in the sky above and waiting for her chance. Steel Rose spun and moved, making it hard to pin her down.

But there was one weakness that would be easy to hit.

Ladybug pulled the tent stakes out of the kit and peaked over her shield. She grabbed one in her hand and, when Steel Rose was distracted, smacked into into the ground on the train of her dress.

She used her shield to make sure it got good into the ground before retreating.

Steel Rose kept moving, tangling her dress up, until eventually she was prevented from moving.

"Queen Bee!" Ladybug called.

At the same time, Queen Bee yelled "Venom!"

With Steel Rose completed focused on her dress, Queen Bee was easily able to hit her with her top. Steel Rose froze.

Ladybug easily approached and grabbed the rose. "It's made of steel, like I thought. This is what I need your cataclysm for."

She tossed the rose to Chat Noir, who nodded.

"Cataclysm!"

* * *

"Sabrina's moving."  
It didn't come as much a surprise, when Lacy whispered it to Sadie the next day in class, after the previous akuma and learning about what happened to her dad. Most families would be looking for a way out of Paris.

"When?" Sadie asked.

"Today," Lacy replied. "She's not even getting a chance to come to class again."

"That sucks," Sadie said.

"Chloe's taking the day off to help her pack," Lacy added. "And Marinette will probably organize something later. You know, so she knows we'll miss her. It's just rough. But Sabrina doesn't have many friends outside Chloe, and even that's a little - well, you know - so maybe this will be good for her."

"How'd they find a place so soon?" Adrien asked, sliding in his seat next to Sadie.

"Staying with family, I think," Lacy said. "Her mom's work is giving her pay for whatever sick time she had off, since they feel like she's being forced away, but her dad isn't getting anything."

"Mayor Bourgeois has to start treating his employees better," Alya said.

Sadie glanced back at her, surprised she had been listening to the conversation.

Adrien frowned. "Problems with your mom?"

"No, just in general," Alya answered. "We need a new mayor."

"The only person to run against him in years is stuck in the Middle Ages," Nino said. "Not exactly an upgrade."

"Ugh, politics," Sadie complained. "Makes my faith in humanity hurt."

"Bourgeois and Hawkmoth are the same breed," Alya commented. "Both incompetent who shouldn't be trusted with a pet rock, much less a business or city."

"Father is competent," Adrien said. "Just, not as a terrorist."

"Or as a father," Nino muttered.

"Neither is Audrey Bourgeois," Lacy said. "Ugh, she bothers me so much! And don't get me started on the rich parents I know about in America."

"It has been my goal in life to punch Gabriel Agreste in his face," Nino added. "And he had to ruin that by going out like a wimp."

Simultaneously, everyone's phone went off.

"Akuma alert," Alya announced. "Let's Go."

"Uhhh, what about class?" Nino asked.

"What about it?" Sadie asked.

"You know, it's important," Nino explained.

"We'll come up with an excuse later," Alya replied. "Trixx, let's pounce!"

* * *

Sabrina was not happy.

She wasn't a picky person, but she did like having more than few hours warning of her life being completely changed. Her mother and father wasn't hearing it, though, and Chloe was still a few minutes away.

Sabrina sighed, leaning back on her bed. Paris was her life - how was she supposed to just move?

Her parents didn't seem to care. If anything, she felt completely invisible.

_Hello, Vanisher._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mariah Carey season!


	4. Chapter 4: Vanisher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of updates. This chapter wasn't writing itself, annoyingly, so eventually I had to go in and finish it myself.

**Chapter 4: Vanisher**

The fight had only been going on for about five minutes when Ladybug had messaged "all brains on deck." Not many of the heroes were confident with strategy, but those who could still transformed.

"Invisibility is _my_ power!" Lis Tigris complained as she and Pigmy headed towards the fight.

"Actually, Vanisher was akumatized before you received your miraculous," Pegasus chimed in over the comms.

"So why can't we defeat her like we did with Dark Moth?" Pigmy asked.

"Power upgrade," Ladybug replied. "I don't know if powder isn't sticking, or if the powder that does stick turns invisible, but there seems to be no way to track her."

"And she isn't dissipating my mirages the way Dark Moth did," Rena Rouge added.

Lis Tigris and Pigmy turned a corner, landing on the rooftop next to Ladybug and Rena Rouge.

"I don't want to use my lucky charm yet," Ladybug said. "It's too dangerous to detransform if we have no idea where she is."

"I'm going to detransform in about a minute," Rena Rouge added nervously.

"What about Roi?" Chat Noir asked, landing behind the heroes.

"Swim practice," Ladybug said. "He has no access to his phone for another five minutes. Besides, he needs to know where to aim."

"Have you tried tracking her heat?" Pegasus asked.

"Heat? How would I do that?" Ladybug questioned.

"Use your drone," Pegasus said.

"Of course!" Ladybug replied. She activated Tikki the Second, and they watched it fly off.

Ladybug opened her yo-yo, the screen showing the heat from the scene below.

"Got her. I'm sending you all the video feed."

Unlike the rest of the heroes, Lis Tigris's screen wasn't on her weapons. Her weapons were two expandable push daggers, which looked a lot like Wolverine's claws, and were too small for any accessories. Instead, she had a thin tablet in one of her pockets.

The abundance of pockets was a definite plus for her outfit. The transformation pulled Juleka's hair out of her eyes and back into a braid, with orange stripes threaded through. Her mask was solid black, and she had a black turtleneck with a tiger-striped breastplate and orange elbow guards. He pants were solid black except for a few padded orange stripes on her knees, and she had black boots with orange laces. Pockets lined her pants, and she had a small pocket on each shoulder.

Pigmy activated the screen in her ribbon wand, and Rena Rouge from her flute.

"I can see her clearly," Rena Rouge said. "I'll go recharge."

"Okay," Ladybug replied. "So, here's the plan. We keep acting like we have no idea where she is, distracting her. Lis, you go invisible and sneak up on her. Got it?"

Lis Tigris nodded. "Stripes on!"

She could feel the invisibility wash over her, but it was hard to describe what it felt like. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, she just went from visible to not visible.  
Lis Tigris leaped from the rooftop to the street, landing quietly, and raised her screen up. She could see Vanisher moving, and easily stalked her.

When the position was right, Lis Tigris pounced, grabbing Vanisher into hold against her chest.

Vanisher wriggled in her grasp.

"Stripes off!" Lis Tigris yelled. "I could use a little help."

"I've got her!" Stampede landed in front of Lis Tigris, and Lis Tigris passed Vanisher to her.

"Good job," Ladybug said. "Now see if you can find the akuma!"

"Uhh..." Stampede tapped along the wiggling form, but came up with nothing. "I can't find it!"

"Uh, then," Ladybug stuttered. "Oh, it might not be on her!"

"What? Since when!" Stampede looked at Lis Tigris. "Did you know that could happen?"

Lis Tigris shrugged.

"Happened with Dark Owl," Chat Noir said.

"My drone will disappear when I detransform," Ladybug said. "Pegasus, can you have Markov do some surveillance?"

"Yes," Pegasus said.

"Okay, make sure he stays out of sight," Ladybug said. "The rest of us should detransform while I come up with another plan."

"Yeah, maybe we can even make school today," Carapace stated.

"At best, we will have only missed three minutes of school," Pegasus added.

"I'll stay with Markov," Viperion added.

"Sounds good," Ladybug said. "Vipe, let us know if she does anything weird. We'll head back to school and then regroup later."

"Okay," Chat Noir agreed. "See you all in a few minutes."

* * *

"Okay, so here's the plan," Marinette said, slipping into the seat next to Adrien. Sadie, Nino, and Alya leaned closer to her.

The rest of the class was packing up to leave for lunch. Juleka and Rose lingered around Marinette when they noticed her in full planning mode.

"Juleka, Adrien, you'll sneak into Sabrina's room and see if you can find where the akuma is. Rose, Alya, Carapace, you stand guard. Either we find the akuma, or we rule out her bedroom as where the akuma is."

"Sounds like a plan," Adrien said.

"Let me know how it goes," Sadie added. "I have to meet up with someone."

"Oh, who?" Alya asked.

"Someone," Sadie replied. "I'll tell you all about it later."

* * *

The girl was waiting outside the bakery when Sadie arrived.

"Okay, so who are you?" Sadie asked, crossing her arms.

The girl smiled. "Rachel. I don't think I got your name?"

"It's Sadie. But, like, _who_ are you?"

Rachel laughed. "Officially, I'm the Greek oracle. Unofficially, I'm just someone who chose the wrong year to visit France."

Sadie snorted. "Tell me about it. Want to grab something to eat?"

Rachel nodded. "Sounds like we have a lot to talk about."

The two walked in and ordered before heading to the park behind the bakery. They found an empty bench, where Rachel delved into explaining what an oracle _is,_ and Sadie explained why she was in Paris.

"The miraculous magic is weird," Rachel admitted. "I haven't done much investigation, since I had such an intense summer - that's a story for another time - but from what I can tell, the miraculouses can mess with other magic."

Sadie nodded. "It's definitely weird. But it's an excuse to do some traveling, so I don't mind."

Rachel nodded. "It is nice here. I'm rooming with some seriously cool art students, and it's been a blast. Well, one of them did get akumatized - that was interesting. I'll have to tell you that story some other time."

Sadie phone beeped, signaling it was time to head back to class.

"Talk to you later?" Sadie asked.

"Definitely," Rachel replied.

* * *

Lis Tigris carefully creaked the door to Sabrina's room open and stepped inside. Chat Noir followed behind.

Vanisher was nowhere near her room, but Lis Tigris and Chat Noir still crept as quietly as they could.

"Any idea where the akuma could be?" Lis Tigris asked.

Chat Noir scanned the room. "First guess: her boxes."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Ladybug agreed over the comms.

Lis Tigris expanded her daggers and slashed the first box apart. Chat Noir used his claws to tear through another.

They went through three or four boxes before Lis Tigris called for Chat Noir's attention.

"There's a photo by her bed of her and Chloe," Los Tigris said. "I bet that's it."

"Good eyes, Lis," Ladybug said.

Lis grabbed the photo from the wall and tore it into two, and a butterfly flew out.

"Butterfly coming your way, LB," Chat Noir reported. He held out his fist to Los Tigris.

"Pound it!"

"Good job you two," Rena Rouge said over the comms.

Lis Tigris could feel her face heating up at the praise.

"Yes, great work!" Ladybug added. "See you two back in class."

* * *

The second Sabrina saw Chloe, she tackled her with a hug.

"I'm going to miss you!" Sabrina said.

"And I'm going to miss you too," Chloe replied.

She hugged Sabrina back for a second, before pushing her away.

"What am I going to do without you?" Sabrina asked.

"You'll be fine," Chloe said. "Now, Marinette's holding a goodbye party at her bakery, if you have the time."

Sabrina looked back at her mom for permission.

"I don't think staying an extra hour will hurt," Sabrina's mom chimed in.

"Sounds fun!" Sabrina said. "I'll be right over!"

"Great," Chloe said. "I'll go make sure everything is perfect for you."

She started walking away, but halfway between the door and her limo, she stopped.

"Sabrina?"

"Yeah?"

"Wherever you end up, don't let anyone treat you like I did."

"But-"

"No buts," Chloe interrupted. "I was a bad friend, and you deserve better. This move might suck, but it's a chance for you to start over. Get healthier relationships. And don't do anyone's homework for them, okay?"

Sabrina nodded, unconvinced. "Okay."

"I'll see you at the party."

* * *

The party was a blast.

The Dupain-Chengs baked a cake for Sabrina that she swore was the best she ever had. Lacy took photos of the class together, with promises to send it to everyone, and Marinette had made Sabrina a locket with one of her favorite motivating quotes.

"Switching schools is hard," Alya said.

"Moving is hard," Lacy added.

"But you'll be fine," Alya continued. "I was so nervous when I started at Francois Dupoint, but I made the best friends I've ever had. This might be what you need."

"Thanks," Sabrina said.

"And if it's not," Kim added. "Let us know and we'll kidnap you."

"Kim!" Marinette scolded.

"I will," Sabrina replied. "Thank you all, so much. I'll miss you!"

"We'll miss you too."


	5. Chapter 5: The Non-Exciting Hero Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long break between chapters, this chapter was being frustrating.

**Chapter 5: The Non-Exciting Hero Life**

The door to his therapist's office closed behind him, and Adrien let out a breath of relief.

Therapist appointments seemed to cause more stress than they relieved, and Adrien dreaded going to his weekly appointments.

The waiting room was empty, and within a few seconds Adrien was at the elevator. The elevator beeped, opened, and he stepped inside.

"You know," Plagg said, flying out of Adrien's sweater. "There's no point letting them drag you to this if you aren't even going to try."

"I'm not _letting_ them drag me into anything," Adrien replied. "This is required."

The elevator stopped and beeped again, and Plagg returned to Adrien's sweater.

The bottom lobby was occupied, but not crowded, and Adrien could feel eyes on him as he headed to the door.

Then he was out the door, onto the street, only a few blocks away from Nino's apartment.

Adrien took a deep breath and headed to his new but temporary home.

Nino's family lived in a small apartment on the third floor of an average apartment building. The elevator was small and smelly, and Adrien always took the stairs.

Alone in the staircase, Plagg remade his appearance.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"I'll ask Marinette to bring them to class tomorrow," Adrien replied. "I don't feel up to running by the bakery right now."

"But my cheeeeese," Plagg whined.

Adrien sighed, opening the door to the third floor.

"Come on," Plagg continued. "All the transforming we've done these past couple of days? I want my cheese!"

"And you'll get it," Adrien replied, arriving at the apartment _finally_. "Tomorrow."

It took Adrien three times to unlock the door, and then he had to push the door open with his shoulder. Nino's parents had alerted the apartment management about the malfunction, but nothing had been done to fix it.

Nino's mom was in the kitchen cooking, and waved as Adrien entered. Adrien gave her a half-hearted wave before heading to his room.

Well, it didn't feel much like _his_ room.

The bed still had the sheets the Lahiffe's had bought when the room was still the guest room. The carpet was a weird color, and Adrien hadn't kept enough belongings to fill up the bookshelf and nightstand.

Adrien collapsed on the bed, covering his face with his arm.

"Ugh," he groaned. "I want a nap."

"Then take one," Plagg said, moving up to his pillow. "Schoolwork can wait."

"Schoolwork can wait," Adrien repeated, already falling asleep.

His phone beeped. Akuma alert.

"You have got to be kidding me," Adrien complained, blindly reaching for his phone. "Nathalie's timing sucks as bad as Hawkmoth's did."

"We can skip this one," Plagg suggested, also half asleep. "Just tell Ladybug you're not feeling well."

Adrien sighed. "I shouldn't." He pushed himself out of the bed. "Plagg, claws out."

* * *

"Pound it!"

"Good job everyone," Ladybug said, giving the heroes her brightest smile. "I have to run - I have another Jagged Stone commission, but see you in school tomorrow."

"And we have a date to get back to," Rena Rouge added. "See you tomorrow!"

Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Ladybug all bounded away, leaving Viperion, Roi Singe, and Chat Noir with the akuma victim.

"I can handle him," Roi Singe said.

"Okay," Viperion said. He tapped Chat Noir on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you?"

Chat Noir shrugged and let Viperion lead him to a rooftop.

"What's up?" Chat Noir asked.

"Are you okay?" Viperion asked.

"Yeah, why? Did I do something wrong?"

Viperion shook his head. "No, you just - there's been a lot and - I just wanted to check."

"Okay," Chat Noir replied. "I'm fine. Are we good?"

"Yeah," Viperion said. "See you later."

* * *

Adrien re-collapsed on the bed as Plagg spun out of his ring.

"Are the fights getting more tiring?" Adrien asked. "Or is it just me?"

"It's just you," Plagg replied, curling up on the pillow next to Adrien. "I have all the energy in the world."

And then Plagg fell asleep.

Adrien sighed and closed his eyes.

Someone knocked lightly on the door, and Adrien opened his eyes to see Nino.

"Back from your date already?" Adrien asked. "That wasn't long."

"It's getting pretty late dude," Nino replied. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes," Adrien lied.

"No," Plagg complained. "I miss my Camembert."

"I'll grab you something," Nino said.

Nino disappeared down the hall, and Adrien grabbed his phone to check the time.

"Must have fallen asleep," he muttered. "It's been an hour since the fight."

"Sleep is good," Plagg Said. "Not as good as f- CHEESE!"

Plagg zoomed away, nearly knocking Nino over as he reentered the room with food. Nino handed Plagg a cheese stick, and laid the plate of food on the nightstand.

Adrien groaned in thanks.

Nino sat down on the bed next to Adrien: "How'd your appointment go?"

"Good," Adrien lied. "Feel like it's really helping."

"Uh huh," Nino replied.

Adrien sighed. "I don't know, I - I'm not sure I even need it in the first place. I mean, all this sucks - but I'm not that bad. I can handle it fine."

"Maybe," Nino said. "But dude, you shouldn't have to. A little help can go a long way."

"I'm fine," Adrien argued.

"If you say so, dude."

* * *

Technically speaking, the heroes weren't supposed to use their powers for anything besides heroing.

Of course, technically speaking, practicing using their powers was an important part of being a hero, so, technically speaking, they were allowed to meet up after school to practice.

Roi Singe and Bunnyx were racing each other on the rooftops, while Ryuko and Ladybug sparred together. Viperion was helping Rena Rouge experiment with her flute, Chat Noir was napping on a nearby bench, and Kota had convinced Carapace to attempt the launch-off-a-shield move. Lis Tigris was also... somewhere, practicing her sneaking.

"Okay," Kota said. "So, crouch down, and when I hit your shield, push up."

"Okay," Carapace replied. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Totally," Kota said. "Ready?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kota took a deep breath and started running towards the shield. She leaped up, landing on the shield, just as Carapace pushed up, and jumped.

She ended up jumping more forward than up, and ended up back on the ground seconds later.

"You hit the shield too far forward," Viperion said. "You've got to hit it right in the center."

"Right," Kota agreed. "Try again?"

Carapace shrugged, and Kota reset herself to attempt it again.

This time, she focused on where she landed, and when Carapace pushed up, she went almost straight up.

She landed, bending her knees to help take the impact. The miraculous magic mostly keep her from being injured - without it, she would have injured herself regardless of how she landed.

Kota straightened up, raising her arms above her head like a gymnast.

"Ten out of ten!" Rena Rouge called. "Do it again and I'll videotape it!"

Kota obliged, giving a little bow at the end of the jump to Rena Rouge's camera.

A few seconds later, Roi Singe arrived, out of breath, followed by Bunnyx.

"Ha!" Roi Singe cheered. "I won!"

"Only by a little," Bunnyx replied. "And only cause your staff helps you jump rooftops."

"You want to bet? Same race, no weapons?"

Bunnyx yawned. "Maybe tomorrow. I got homework to do."

"Oh come on!"

"I think I'm done for the day," Carapace admitted. "Oh, Lacy-"

"Kota," Ladybug interrupted. "Use heroes names when we're transformed."

"Right, sorry dude. Kota, I was wondering if we could talk after."

Kota shrugged. "Sure.

Lis Tigris appeared at Kota's shoulder, startling her.

"Didn't you say something about being behind on homework earlier?" Lis Tigris asked.

"Did I? Oops."

"Talk on the way home?" Carapace suggested.

Kota nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

"And I'm just worried about him, you know?" Nino continued.

"That's sweet," Lacy replied. "Maybe he just needs time?"

"Probably," Nino replied. "I just - I don't know, dude. I'm worried that he's not giving himself the chance."

"Maybe not," Lacy agreed. "But that's a choice that's ultimately up to him."

"I know, but-"

"You're a good friend Nino," Lacy said. "But you can't force someone to heal."

"I guess."

The two stopped in front of Lacy's apartment building.

"Thanks, dude," Nino said.

"No problem," Lacy replied. "See you tomorrow?"

Nino nodded. "See you later."

Lacy walked up to her apartment, wondering if she needed to remind her teammates that just because her dad was a therapist didn't mean she was qualified to give advice. She hoped what she told Nino was helpful, but Adrien was the classmate she understood least.

She opened the door, not surprised to see Sadie lounging on her couch.

"About time!" Sadie said, stretching dramatically. "I was starting to get lonely."

Lacy rolled her eyes. "I hope you're here to do homework, cause I need to do some catching up."

"Totally," Sadie lied. "I'm supposed to be researching that incident at the Louvre."

"What happened?" Lacy plopped her backpack into the ground and sat down next to Sadie.

"You didn't hear?" Sadie asked. "I guess people randomly teleporting to the middle of a museum isn't that weird here."

"Wasn't that weird in New York either," Lacy replied.

"True. Well, anyways, he was trying to get from DC to London - I don't know how he ended up here. Usually, the problem is that portals to here don't work." Sadie sighed drastically and leaned back. "This all sounds like a Carter job."

"Yeah, except then you wouldn't get to live in Paris," Lacy argued. "Or be a superhero."

Sadie chuckled. "That's true. Being a superhero is fun. Anyways, didn't you say you had homework to do?"

Lacy groaned. "Probably. Want to help me figure out what I forgot about?"

Sadie laughed. "Sure."


End file.
